PSEG Long Island Customers Reap Benefits of Going Greener

Customers upgraded lighting fixtures and light bulbs, appliances, refrigeration, heating and cooling systems, and completed other energy efficiency modifications, earning $265 million in rebates in addition to the $280 million in energy savings. The upgrades have saved an estimated 1.6 billion kilowatt hours of energy since January 1, 2014, which is significant — the equivalent of powering around 191,530 homes for one year.

In recognition of National Cut Your Energy Costs Day, PSEG Long Island commends its customers for making a commitment to the environment by taking advantage of cost-effective, energy-saving upgrades to their homes and businesses. National Cut Your Energy Costs Day encourages people to look for ways to reduce energy costs and save on their energy bills.

“Cut Your Energy Costs Day is the perfect time to applaud our customers for saving energy and money through our energy efficiency programs and rebates. Being energy efficient not only saves customers money, it helps lower the use of fossil fuels to help provide a cleaner, greener environment on Long Island,” said Michael Voltz, director of energy efficiency and renewables, PSEG Long Island.

Over the past six years, residential customers have participated in the energy efficient products program by purchasing more than 25 million ENERGY STAR light bulbs and fixtures as well as 155,000 ENERGY STAR appliances and other energy efficient products. This resulted in customers saving more than 900 million kilowatt hours a year.

In the past six years, PSEG Long Island residential customers also completed 34,000 Home Energy Assessments, both online and in person. Residents recycled 24,000 old, energy-wasting appliances and replaced washers and dryers, pool pumps, dehumidifiers, in-room air conditioners, and other home appliances with energy efficient models.

Business customers also saved money in the past six years by completing 20,000 energy efficiency projects, which earned them a collective $161 million in rebates and incentives. The installed energy conservation measures are expected to save 633 million kilowatt hours in annual energy savings.

Here are some simple tips that can help save money and energy on National Cut Your Energy Costs Day and every other day of the year:

• A single LED bulb will save a household approximately $230 over the lifetime of each bulb. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting accounts for 15 percent of home electric use. Replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs and fixtures will save energy and money.
• Items plugged into outlets can waste electricity just by being plugged in, even when they’re turned off. This is sometimes referred to as “phantom power.” A simple way to eliminate this avoidable usage is to unplug electronic devices when they’re not in use or use an energy efficient power strip.
• Using timers and motion detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting to automatically turn lights on and off is another way to save energy.

Independent annual evaluations by Opinion Dynamics Corporation have found PSEG Long Island’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs generate energy savings that are cost-effective. In 2018, Opinion Dynamics found that the PSEG Long Island Energy Efficiency Program generated $2.00 in benefits to the utility and its customers for every $1.00 in costs to operate the program, including rebates.